Indie studio Great Ape Games has revealed alpha gameplay footage of The Lost Wild, a first-person survival adventure game set in the lush wilderness of Japan — which is, for some reason, plagued by hungry dinosaurs. The project boasts impressive visuals powered by Unreal Engine, but above all, the devs are focused on the enemy's self-preservation and reactive AI behavior.
The Lost Wild aims to create an immersive experience full of long-extinct creatures, trying to capture the reverence and terror of these beloved prehistoric reptiles. The first snippets of The Lost Wild surfaced three years ago, and during all that time, the team has worked to build their vision of an ambitious game they've "always wanted to play." Great Ape Games said the goal is to create "the most authentic dinosaur experience possible."
Instead of trying to deliver a traditional open-world sandbox, Great Ape chose to provide an in-game environment largely based on a "Hub and Spoke" design. As a result, you can expect nonlinear exploration with a multi-pathed, rewarding approach full of complex AI systems designed for thrills and surprises.
The most important thing about The Lost Wild is that its dinosaurs go well beyond simple monster mechanics — think more like Alien: Isolation. According to the team, the creatures are intelligent and adaptive, but you can make them retreat, buying yourself time to rethink your approach and escape. You can't kill some colossal predators as The Lost Wild crafts a constant sense of vulnerability, but you can scare them off using fire, weapons, and other equipment. Here's a glimpse of actual real-time gameplay for you to check out:
The Lost Wild seems to blend familiar survival adventure mechanics with a tight, cinematic narrative. Great Ape's dino experience will be a traditional single-player game with no plans for online multiplayer right now. You can expect your journey to last about six to ten hours — and the story even teases an "emotional and impactful dilemma at the conclusion."
The Lost Wild is still early in development for PC, with only a broad window of sometime in the next two or three years. Next-gen console versions of the game are also on the roadmap.